Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed Board Bill 65, a public safety bill aimed at improving public safety by establishing the Office of Violence Prevention and allocating nearly $13.6 million in American Rescue Plan funding to community violence prevention and youth programs. This initiative was highlighted in Mayor Jones' April State of the City address.
The Office of Violence Prevention will function under the Department of Public Safety, coordinating resources across city departments and community violence intervention programs to enhance the safety of St. Louis neighborhoods. The office will also seek funding opportunities to extend programs beyond the ARPA funds' expiration in 2026. Wilford Pinkney Jr., the Mayor's Office Director of Children, Youth, and Families, will lead the Office of Violence Prevention. The Office of Violence Prevention is fully authorized and will be staffed up in the coming weeks and months.
Mayor Jones invested $5.5 million of ARP funds to invest in community organizations working to interrupt cycles of violence through prevention and intervention. In addition to providing employment services, housing, and mental health resources to individuals with justice system involvement, the city also invested in youth violence prevention programs. In July, the city announced funding to expand the work of Project Haki, an organization supporting youth through summer programs and creating safe community spaces.